By Michael P. Walsh
Special to the Voice
Musical groups Shaded Soul Band and Arena Rock Tribute will headline the Savin Rock Festival in Old Grove Park on July 28-29, respectively.
The annual festival, sponsored by the University of New Haven, Yale University and Frankson Fence Co., will showcase the sights, sounds, smells and tastes that cemented the 20th-century Savin Rock Park as Connecticut’s Coney Island, Mayor Nancy R. Rossi said.
Other sponsors include Baybrook Remodelers Inc., Affordable Waste Systems LLC and Adams Hometown Market.
The festival, which honors the legacy of “the Rock,” is scheduled from 5-10 p.m. July 28 and noon-10 p.m. July 29.
Along with live music, it will feature the traditional midway of rides and games by Marenna Amusements — and, of course, boatloads of seafood and other mouthwatering dishes.
Marenna will offer wristbands for unlimited rides for $30 and a sheet of 21 tickets for $20.
A number of nonprofit organizations will set up informational booths in the 153-year-old Grove, and a fleet of food trucks on Palace Street will serve up burgers, hot dogs, cheesesteaks, fried dough, gyros, lobster rolls, tacos and meatball bombs. Dessert trucks will offer cannoli, ice cream, cupcakes and kettle corn.
The craft fair, a festival staple, will also take place, spread beneath the park’s oak trees, organizers said.
On July 28-29, the parking fee for nonresidents is $20, payable by credit card through a “Pay for Parking” smartphone app only. Paid parking is available in the municipal lots on Oak Street and Altschuler Boulevard and the grass lot off Oak Street, across from the Surfside public housing complex.
To park, nonresidents must scan the QR code on the Premium Parking sign in each lot or text the lot code to 504504. Both options will connect them to the Premium Parking website to complete the transaction. Nonresidents can also download the Premium Parking app on the Apple or Google app stores.
Parking is free for residents, provided their vehicles, including motorcycles and new, leased or military-exempt vehicles, are registered in West Haven and they are not delinquent on their motor vehicle taxes. A “new” vehicle means it was registered in West Haven after Oct. 1, 2022.
Taxpayers can check if they owe back taxes and make a payment at https://www.mytaxbill.org/inet/bill/home.do?town=westhaven.
The festival will open at 5 p.m. July 28 with welcoming remarks by Rossi and the national anthem sung by Ana Garcia.
Radio personality Brian Smith will serve as the “ringmaster” of ceremonies for a sixth time.
The Kathy Thompson Band will play funk, soul and R&B music at 6 p.m., followed by Shaded Soul Band, performing R&B favorites and pop gems, at 8 p.m.
Day 2 will kick off at noon July 29 with the festival’s second annual Touch-a-Truck event, held next to the Oak Street Beach parking lot off Captain Thomas Boulevard until 4 p.m.
At 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., firefighters of the West Haven Fire Department, led by Fire Marshal Roger Sicotte, will demonstrate the department’s 35-foot smoke trailer and show children what to do in case of a fire.
Firefighters of the West Shore Fire Department will demonstrate the department’s amphibious rescue boat at 2 p.m.
At 3 p.m., West Haven firefighters will demonstrate the Jaws of Life tool by prying open parts of a vehicle to free those trapped inside.
At 4 p.m., The Generators will open the diverse musical lineup by playing a 90-minute set of classic rock anthems.
Just before the concert, Smith will introduce Garcia, who will sing the national anthem.
Then, at 6 p.m., Magic of Motown, sponsored by West Haven Vietnam Veterans Inc., will perform a high-energy mix of R&B hits from the acclaimed catalog of Detroit’s Motown Records, known as “Hitsville U.S.A.”
At 8 p.m., Arena Rock Tribute will unleash the monsters of rock and play a two-hour show celebrating the music, performance and spectacle of the melodic rock of the ’70s and ’80s, including Queen, Journey, Van Halen and Bon Jovi.
“Arena Rock Tribute performs rock blocks of their greatest hits with undeniable energy and precision that makes for an exciting event,” the band said in a statement.
Watch the band’s promotional video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RrvMxzg8ILU.
West Haven’s flagship festival was established in 1982 by the Chamber of Commerce — initially under the direction of Brian M. Stone, David Gesler and Michael Shiner and thereafter by John L. Perrone and his wife, Mary Perrone — to bring organizations, clubs, businesses and families together for a summer festival that celebrates life in one of America’s oldest maritime communities.
From the dawn of the Savin Rock House hotel in 1838, the Rock had long been a resort hub until it was officially incorporated as an amusement park by the Savin Rock Park Co. on Memorial Day 1925, when it opened to 300,000 visitors and 66,000 automobiles in one spectacular day.
For the next 40 years, the popular seaside park captured the hearts and imaginations of “Rock rats” young and old. “The playground of New England” closed on Sept. 21, 1966, to make way for the Savin Rock Urban Renewal Project.